stephenson



. J. STEPHENSON. TRAGK BRAKE FOR CARS.

No. 403,299. Patented May 14, 1889.

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2L J. STEPHENSON TRAGK BRAKE FOR CARS Patenteld- May 14, 1889.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STEPHENSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRACK-BRAKE FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,299, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed July 20, 1888. Serial No. 280,510- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STEPHENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and Stat-e of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Brake Mechanism, of which the followin g is a full, clear, and exact specification. I

Since the application of cable propulsion to cars tramways are constructed on grades before impracticable, making necessary the use of more powerful brakes or methods of holding cars from sliding down grades.

My invention relates to such brake mechanism as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a car-truck provided with my improved brake mechanism. Fig. 2 is an elevation in section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

The best wheel-brakes are sufficient to prevent car-wheels from rotating; but even thus the cars will slide. It is found that a trackbrake with wood shoe-soles has more adhesion, so that if the whole weight of the car should be transferred from the wheels to the track-shoes of wood the car could be held on higher grades of declivity. Therefore it is important to have such mechanism between the track-shoe and its superincumbent car, that there may be a possibility of placing the entire weight of the car upon the track-shoes, and that the mechanism accomplishing this may be easily and quickly manipulated by the operator; but the wheel-brake may not' be dispensed with, because the wood sole is perishable, requiring frequent renewals, and the wheel-brake, which is more enduring, serves well on ordinary grades.

My improved brake is rather an emergencybrake, to be resorted to in extraordinary circumstances, and is designed to supply these requirements by suitable mechanism between the track-shoe and the hand of the operator. Beginning at the track-shoe 100, I make on the upper surface of the shoe lugs 99, connected with arms 56 on rock-shafts 57 by articulated bars 58, the two rock-shafts 57 57 having their outer ends supported by the side sill, 5, of the cartruck, and the other ends of the twin rock-shafts being journaled and supported by the parallel rails 6 next adjoining the side sills, which rails carry guides adapted to control the shoes and protect them from displacement. The inner ends of the rockshafts have upturned arms 59 61, and are connected by union-bars 60. One of the'twin rock-shafts on each side of the car has its arm 61 elongated above the union-bar, and rod 62 connects this elongated arm with the arm 63 of a rock-shaft, 64L, hung to the under side of the car-floor. This floor rock-shaft has an arm, 65, and a rod, 66, connecting this rock-shaft with the operators hand-lever 67. I prefer that the mechanism of the trackbrake should be lodged in a metal housing, so that journals, bearings, and guides maybe fitted and adjusted in the machine-shop and ready to be attached to the car complete, exceptthe floor rock-shaft connected with the operators lever. needs to be so adjusted that it will strike a stop, 68, on the housing and prevent the articulated bars uniting shoe and rock-shaft from reaching a dead-center, which would stop the recoil of the brake mechanism.

I do not here claim the construction shown of the truck=frame and track-brake shoe, as the same constitutes the subject of separate applications for Letters Patent, Serial Nos. 280,508 and 280,511.

I claim 1. The within-described car-track-brake mechanism consisting of twin rock-shafts One of the rock-shaft arms with their arms connected by an articulated bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The Within-specified car-track-brake mechanism at each side of a car, with an articulated bar connecting twin rock-shafts, which shafts are connected by articulated bars with the track-brake shoe, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. Car-track-brake mechanism with an arm of its rock-shaft and a stop on the hous ing arranged to be struck by the arm before a dead-center is reached by the connections between the shoe and rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. Oar-track-brake mechanism with articu- In testimony whereof I have signed my name lated bars connecting the track-shoes and to this specification in the presence of two subconpled twin rock-shafts, one of which shafts scribing Witnesses.

has an elongated arm, with an articulated JOHN STEPHENSON. 5 rod for transmitting the energy of the brake- YVitnesses:

operator to the brake mechanism, substan- STUART A. STEPHENSON,

tially as and for the purpose described. CHARLES E. FOSTER. 

